First tip: the Swedes are on to the whole Muppets thing and saying "bork, bork, bork" may hinder your chances of getting a reservation or two.

Hmmm... Are you specifically aiming for Midsommar or is this just a coincidence? One way or another, if the dates hold than this holiday will surely be a major influence on your visit.

As a tourist, Midsommar can perhaps be tough as many Swedes flee the cities and head to the countryside. And, having an empty city to yourself would be perfect except that even the stores and restaurants will be closed. However, with enough planning and a Swedish contact or two, you could easily get over any hurdles and be able to enjoy Sweden at it's finest.

Send me a PM, tem and we can throw a few ideas around. I'll be sure to report back on the board regarding any solid ideas from my side and perhaps you can post back with a report of whatever you ended up doing.

Tem--I'm not giving tips, but lining up to eavesdrop. I'll be there March 7-16th, so I won't have quite the midsummer's blast that you're likely to enjoy, but I'm anticipating a good time nonetheless.

My companions will include my 82 year old mother, my 19 year old niece, and my vegetarian sister who also doesn't eat onions, garlic, sugar, white flour, or anything from the nightshade family. We'll have fun, but food, other than rye crisps perhaps, won't nearly be as central a part of the trip as it might be with different, or no, companions.

Ann - Will you be just in Stockholm or will you be traveling all over? My vegan wife is from Malmö. If you're spending any time in Skåne, I could probably get her to pull together some vegetarian tips for your sister. I had some great vegetarian food on my last visit.

I'd been looking at vegan options in Stockholm, too. That is, until I realized that "onions, garlic, sugar, white flour, or anything from the nightshade family" not only probably show up in the vegan diet but are probably even cornerstones of it...

As I've intrepreted Ann's post, she's basically decided to forego too much culinary exploration in hopes of enjoying the time with her family.

I'm working on some ideas and suggestions about Stockholm for Ann and tem. I'll probably go ahead and post (as opposed to using PM) them just in case they are of use or interest to anyone else.

Sorry Mark, for some reason I just saw your post. Although my sister's diet is obviously more restricted than that of most vegetarians, we're still very interested in any recommendations you can send our way. Any place with good vegetarian options is likely to have something that she can eat as is, eat with some adaptations, or eat notwithstanding the nightshade issues and just deal with the rash that follows. So thanks.

As a recent Hyde Park transplant to Stockholm there are a few places that I would recommend that I think would be good for visitors and vegetarian friendly. My favourite is brunch at the modern museum. It is pricey (approx 250 SEK), but worth it. You can linger for a few hours and get your fill of gravad lax, many varieties of herring, as well as many vegetable dishes, salads, fruit and desserts. The real clincher is that you have a spectacular view over the water and Strandvägen, the Michigan Avenue of Stockholm, but with more charm and less shopping.

Another place with a great view is Hermans. I haven’t been there recently, but they have a patio with nice views over the water and the food is mostly, if not all, vegetarian. They don’t really have a menu, but offer a buffet of various salad and desserts with a Mediterranean twist. This isn’t destination dining, but a good place on Södermalm with great view and you can linger as long as you like.

Östermalms saluhall on Östermalmstorg is fun. There are many restaurants on the main floor of the hall that are worth trying, but there is also another vegetarian buffet upstairs called something like ört garden (herb garden). I think the restaurants in the saluhall are much better, but in case nothing suits you this is a vegetarian option.

I will also put in a pitch for my favourite hot dog stand (korvkiosk), though it really isn’t in an area tourists would typically find themselves, and there is nothing vegetarian friendly about this place. It is called Gunters, and it is near St. Eriksplan. The kiosk, on a mostly residential street, serves a sausage whose name is escaping me now, but it is has some African spices and maybe a piri-piri or other hot sauce on it that I really like. He has a dozen different sausages, and I have liked everything I have tried.

As a newcomer to Stockholm I’m looking forward to seeing what other tips people have.

Hyde Park, THANK YOU! We're working out our schedule now and I know we're going to be spending some time on Soder so Herman's should work out for sure. I've also got my niece working on mapping everything everyone wants to do and I'll have her add all of these. Exactly the sort of info I was looking for. Thanks again!

Great to see another Stockholm resident post! Welcome, hyde park and excellent tips!

O.K., Ann. I’m feeling like I dropped the ball a little here… Here’s some ideas:

Vegan/vegetarian restaurants:

Herman’s is a great suggestion. And, while decidedly non-vegetarian myself, I’ve even eaten there within the past 3 years or so. The view is great and the food was excellent. I’m not certain that they can cater to all of the diet constraints but they should be more open than, say, “Texas Smokehouse” would be…

Here’s a large list of vegetarian restaurants from a Swedish Vegan site. I believe the link will take you straight to the English version of the information. Each restaurant name is then linked to a little review (also in English). All of these restaurants are in central Stockholm and perhaps your niece can use/look at the addresses while making maps. Unfortunately, I have little to no experience with any of the restaurants included.

And now, this post’s yang. I haven’t been to Gunther’s but I have posted a feeble attempt at documenting my favorite sausage kiosk in Stockholm: Östermalm’s korvspecialisten. It’ll be cold when you’re here and the little kiosk doesn’t have indoor seating so my best suggestion is to trudge a few blocks south to Östermalms saluhall (or, simply, “Östermalmshallen”) and enjoy your sausage while looking at Stockholm’s best food market and/or waiting for your sister to finish her lunch at Örtagården (or, perhaps, not – they seem to be strictly vegetarian and not vegan or more).

If you can sneak away from the group for a quick lunch, Ann, another recommendation I have is to stop by Operakällaren’s “bakfika” (click on “Bakfickan: Hip Pocket” on the Operakällaren site. Let me try to explain this place… The Stockholm Opera house occupies a full city block adjacent to (well, directly over the sluices from)the Houses of Parliament and the Royal Castle. Its main restaurant is a Michelin one-star restaurant with an outstanding wine list. Once upon a time in Sweden, it was popular for large, formal restaurants to open a small, informal restaurant to serve lunch and easy dinners. These, for reasons unknown to me, are known as “hip pockets” (“bakfika”). Operakällarans bakfika does not take reservations and you basically sit along the counter. They specialize in good Swedish traditional dishes and decide their menu on a weekly basis. This would be great for you to duck into by yourself.

If the rest of your family is interested in this type of experience then I would recommend booking a table at the Opera’s third restaurant: the Opera bar (click on “The Opera Bar” on the Operakällaran site). This option allows for bookings (in a beautiful, art-nouveau room from 1905) but offers food largely like what is served next door at the “hip pocket”. Not too expensive, extremely central location, wonderful settings and good food!

Re: another request from Ann Fischer, I’d like to try to write out a few tips of what food products can be worth hunting down and bringing back from a trip to Stockholm.

Ann – my recommendation is to head up to NK (or, Nordiska Kompaniet, Stockholm’s largest department store) and take the elevator down to the basement level where they have opened a grocery store. (The rest of the basement level is full of interesting and excellent items, i.e., Swedish crystal, that may be interesting to tourists.) Take a stroll around and pick up whatever looks interesting, new or unusual to you. The staff is very accustomed to speaking English and are always extremely helpful.

Check out their selection of hard/flat breads and crisps. Take a long look at all of their jams, preserves and marmalades, Swedish and otherwise. Perhaps you could pick up a vacuum-packed bit of Sweden’s best bacon: “rökt sidfläsk” produced by “Roslagskött”? Even if you don’t find too many items to take home, you can certainly stock up on items to munch on during your stay!

Adjacent to NK’s grocery store is their Coffee and Tea department (as well as their excellent bakery). They may have some tea blends that are unique to Sweden/Stockholm/NK or simply some items you can’t find in Chicago. However, my real tea recommendation would be Sibyllans Kaffe och Tehandel. It’s only about a block away from Östermalms Saluhall and is a Stockholm gem. Established in 1916, they haven’t changed much with the time. They roast all coffee in-house (not too unusual in Chicago these days but pretty much unique in Sweden) and the entire shop fills with smoke if you manage to hit them during roasting hours. I suppose I can’t recommend the coffee to people with direct access to Intelligensia but they have a blend of tea called “Sir William’s blend” that I enjoy very much. Blended from seven sorts of tea, it tastes similar to a slightly smoky, floral English Breakfast.

What else? Candy, of course. Of all the things I’ve ever brought back with me, candy never fails to please. Swedes have excellent liquorice – both salty and sweet. You’ll see small bags of super salty “Djungel vrål” (or, “Jungle howl”) at most grocery and corner stores. Pick up a bag if for nothing else than the shock factor. The best sweet, in my opinion, is the hard-to-find sticks of Fazer “lakritsi” with a soon-to-be-banned logotype:

(Administrators: Please remove the picture if it is deemed offensive or insensitive by anyone! I’m not posting the picture as a discussion point, merely as guidance to assist in finding a truly excellent product!)

Swedes are proud of their chocolate but it is very sweet and milky – too much so, in fact, to be sold as “chocolate” within the EU. So, it’s far from the hip “rich and dark” but very, very tasty. Pick up a bag of “Polly” and try mixing up some candies from the wall-length, choose-yourself, “Karamelkungen” displays you see at virtually all grocery stores.

One more tip for your return trip: There is a “Candy-Only” store at Arlanda airport (after the security check). The sell “Anton Berg” fudge (vanilla and liquorice) in small boxes. I’ve bought many boxes of the liquorice fudge and find that even non-liquorice lovers enjoy it (or at least they say so).

I could go on and on, Ann… Would you like any more specific suggestions?

Great suggestions, Bridgestone! I'd forgotten about the licorice, and the store at the airport would be a good way to use up any remaining kroner. One more question (or one more for the moment ). Any good cheeses I should look for to bring back with my rye crisps?

The moment is already up. More questions.
I'd like to try fried herring--or is that a mistake? Suggestions there?

And what about "regular" grocery shopping? We're sure to be eating lots of meals in, and I've promised to make a Chicago-style stuffed spinach pizza for some of my brother's colleagues. Will it be easy enough to find whole milk mozzarella? If I would like pizza flour is there some clear way to identify or find it? I'm perfectly happy to improvise, but if I can replicate what I'd do here that would be even better.

Thanks again for all your help.

Last edited by Ann Fisher on March 1st, 2007, 11:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

There are a few other places on Söder that I would recommend. If you want a solid rendition of Swedish husmanskost, meatballs and pytt i panna, and a beer to go with it try Kvarnen. It is the home bar of a soccer team from the south side, and it has the feel of a Swedish beer hall. There is nothing seedy about it, and the food is much better than typical bar food. A bit fancier than Kvarnen, but still classic Swedish is a place called Pelikan.

If you want a drink try Akkurat. This place is all about whisky and beer. This might be the best selection in town, but the ambience strikes me as something like a Swedish Bennigan’s. If you want a view with your cocktail try the bar at Erik’s Gondolen. It is a nice place to eat, but the view is just as nice from the bar. The space is Swedish art deco, and the food is modern/Scandinavian with lots of fish.

I am always looking for cheap eats in Stockholm, so if you find anything memorable report back.

I personally prefer Pelikan over Kvarnen but I'm hard-pressed as to why. Both have great, old-Stockholm atmospheres. Another excellent (albeit non-Swedish) beer hall on Söder is "Soldaten Svejk" - wonderful, fresh Czech beer (at least 10 on tap) and food (note: I've never eaten there but it looks and smells wonderful).

I recommend Akkurat to all out-of-town beer-lovers as its beer and whisky selection is literally world-class. But, you're spot-on about the questionable ambience... And Gondolen for cocktails is a must for any visitor looking to start off a night on the town on the right foot.

Excellent recommendations!

Cheap eat tip #1: Have you tried Koreana on Luntmakargatan? This place can't even shine a light on any of the Korean places seen elsewhere on this board but... It's a simple restaurant seemingly run by the caterers/Korean grocery store next door. Their kimchi soup (kimchisoppa) is surprisingly and refreshingly non-Swedishized. It's the only thing I've ever ordered there so I can't vouch for the rest of the (short) menu. Along with a bowl of their excellent rice, it makes for a cheap, spicy and tasty dinner for not too much money. The very friendly women that work alway seem surprised when a non-Korean (they get a lot of traffic from the South Korean embassy) orders it, too.

The original poster's trip is quickly approaching so I thought I'd post a summary and a few tips for other visitor activites... There's a lot of links here. Some sites are only in Swedish but I've included them anyway in hopes of providing a telephone number or even a picture of a sign to help anyone out.

As has probably been mentioned here, LTHForum in Stockholm would never fly - there are just too few restaurants in Stockholm that are cheap, good and authentic. Many that are expensive and good, though! The exchange rate is the real killer right now - so keep your eyes open and a calculator near your fingertips to guard against some real buyer's regret...

A few, quick general recommendations. You really should make it to the nice market - "Östermalmshallen". It's on Östermalmstorg ("Östermalm's square") which is on the subway's red line (the station name is: Östermalmstorg). It's worth it for the the oogling alone. I don't eat there (and am actually worried that the restaurants are pushing away the vendors) but, if you've got the cash, you probably can't go wrong in there (I'd personally skip the mezze place in favor of the various scandinavian but that's just me...).

If you don't eat there, do go about two blocks north of the market's main entrance (follow the street "Nybrogatan" north a few blocks) to "Östermalms korvspecialisten" and order a Thuringer Weisswurst with everything. Take it back to the square and watch Stockholm's uppercrust waddle around for awhile.

Try to order some pan-fried herring somewhere, anywhere. You should be able to find it (look for "stekt strömming") at most all-purpose restaurants. Or, order some at one of the few-remaining herring stands. There's one at little square ("Södermalmstorg") outside of the "Slussen" subway station. In fact, either have drink at Gondolen(fancy, order an expensive mixed drink at the bar and enjoy the views over stockholm) or a beer at Akkurat(non-fancy, incredible beer and whiskey selection) and wander out for some herring afterwards. Both Gondoloen and Akkurat are within a few hundred feet of the stand (in opposite directions of each other, though...).

You'll probably be visiting a museum or two and be sure to check their cafes and restaurants. I've had surprisingly good luck. In fact, I was just at the not-to-miss Vasa Museum'srestaurant yesterday with my visiting father and my two oldest children and we all ate very well and reasonably priced (for being in what must be Sweden's most popular tourist attraction).

Another lunch and/or dinner tip that won't break the bank is the Opera's "back pocket" ("Operakällerans backfika"). The main restaurant at the Opera is a one-starred palace of refined food and service (with prices to match) but the "back" or "hip pocket" is a relaxed, informal, no-reservations place serving excellent Swedish dishes. One little tip here is that there is a third option at the Opera house and that's the Opera bar. The menu is the same as the hip pocket but you may (and should) make reservations and the room is small but beautiful.

The original poster's request mentioned that they'd be here over Midsommar. This may certainly effect the opening times of these restaurants so be sure to check! Otherwise, the large, open-air museum/park called "Skansen" in central Stockholm is your best bet to see traditional Midsommar celebrations. It'll probably be packed so consider yourself warned! Foodwise, there is nearly always someone selling hard-grilled (re: nearly burnt!) herring by the lake in the center of the park. It's a speciality called "sotare" (literally, "chimney-sweeps") and worth finding if you find yourself there.

I'd recommend a trip out to the archipelago sometime during your stay. Check with boats stationed outside the Grand Hotel and/or Royal Castleor outside of the Dramatic Theater/along Strandvägen. Another (albeit longer) option is to take a boat to the island community of "Sandhamn" for a day. It's about 3 hours one-way from central Stockholm but many boats serve both food and alcohol and, if the weather is nice, the time could fly by. The community itself is quaint and charming and the best lunch bet is at Sandhamns Värdshus. Yet another boat option is a shrimp (all-you-can-eat shrimp) or jazz cruise on one of the 100 year-old steam engine boats.

Finally, if you want to bust the bank, Stockholm does have some great high-end dining. I've been to both Restaurang GQ and Leijontornet relatively recently and enjoyed every bite/sip. Leijontornet is especially doing some cutting-edge stuff with many local/Swedish ingredients and inspirations. There are probably about 5 other restaurants in this category worth mentioning (Mistral, Lux, F12, P&N, Edsbacka krog, Mattias Dahlgren) but I haven't tried them. FYI - tasting menus will probably set you back about 150-175 bucks/person without drinks or tips (modest but expected at this price class).

Don't shy away from going to a market or food specialist store and picking up some breads, fruit, sausages and cheeses and making an informal picnic somewhere, practically anywhere. Keep your eyes open for the government-owned liquor stores, Systembolaget, if you want spirits, wine or beer with alcohol content over 3.5%. Stockholm does have open liquor laws but keep things reasonable and under control and I'd be shocked if you were hassled in the middle of the summertime.

That's about what I've got but Stockholm has much to offer. Please let me know if you've got any special requests!

Bridgestone wrote:You'll probably be visiting a museum or two and be sure to check their cafes and restaurants. I've had surprisingly good luck.

Let me just echo this. Of our 22 meals in Stockholm, there were only three we didn't cook ourselves. The first exception was at the Bonniers contemporary art museum. It's basically a coffee shop with a small collection of sandwiches and salads, but look at the sandwiches

. (Apologies for not pushing my brother away fast enough to take a picture of his before he started it).

Mine was called a "Polkabetta," which I think we can safely recognize as a calico beet. That's tuna in the little cup with all the fresh herbs on top. The schmear to the side is a blue cheese spread. Very good, as you can imagine. And yes, just like in the States, we didn't have to pay the museum admission to eat here.

On another day, we had a quick lunch at what looked like a warming cabin (a roomful of picnic tables in a log building) at Tyresta National Park, just 20 km or so south of Stockholm. The featured attraction was the hot chocolate, but we ordered sandwiches as well. Good luck getting something like this at a lunch counter in a U.S. national park.

Bridgestone also said

Don't shy away from going to a market or food specialist store and picking up some breads, fruit, sausages and cheeses and making an informal picnic somewhere, practically anywhere.

Let me echo this. Another upside of doing all our own cooking (besides saving money and keeping my sister fed) was all the time we got to spend in grocery stores. We were usually just at the small ICA (maybe 600 square feet, no parking lot) around the corner from my brother's apartment, but we also made several forays into Co-ops for a wider variety of organic ingredients, and into a large supermarket once or twice when we were out driving anyway. An amazing variety of foods, including great breads and a good variety of fresh fish and produce, in even the smallest store.

Welcome to Stockholm. I hope you have a great time, and I look forward to hearing more about your trip.

I wanted to give a quick update on some tips mentioned above. I'm not 100% sure what the status is of Kvarnen is these days. There have been some headlines to the effect that they will be closed down, but I walked by this weekend and they appeared open. If you go and they are closed I second the suggestion of Soldaten Svejk, more or less around the corner from Kvarnen. Actually, Soldaten Svejk is a bit cheaper and friendlier than Kvarnen in my book these days.

Stockholm is a great city to walk around, and if you can turn your meanderings into a picnic shopping trip all the better. If you pick up meat and cheese at Ostermalmshallen, and are in the mood for some good bread in a great picnic spot head down Strandvagen to Djurgarden and follow the trail signs to Rosendals Tradgarden (a scenic 30 min. walk). There is a restaurant and coffee shop located in the garden and lots of picnic tables for sitting out. The best part is the bakery located in the garden. I think this has to be some of the best bread I have had in Stockholm. Buy some bread and make up some sandwiches to eat in the garden. If you prefer you can buy a salad, piece of paj, or bottle of wine in the restaurant to enjoy outdoors too. I think most of the food is organic and uses local produce from the garden. I'm sure the salads are tasty, but the bread is great and much more affordable.

One warning I must make is that service can be really hit or miss even in some more expensive places in Stockholm. One place that has been really good is Wedholms Fisk. I am not such a big fan of the creamy fish dishes for which they are known, but the starters are really tasty and worth the price. One place that I have been miserably disappointed by service-wise was Brasserie Godot. This place is has fallen prey to the too cool to care management style that is all too common in Stockholm.

If the weather is nice a boat ride out to Vaxholm is spectacular, and there is this great coffee shop with sandwiches and desserts that you can't miss. It is on the other side of the island from where the boat lands, and it has a huge yard out back with tables. I don't know the name, but you will know it when you see it.

Kvarnen's status is that they officially have had their liquor license taken away as there were simply too many heavily intoxicated people at the bar on one too many inspections by the alcohol authorities. However, they've decided to fight the decision and have (successfully) applied for an extension on their serving rights while the process is under dispute. It'll be an interesting case as this is an old, established and popular bar but the alcohol authorities' decisions are seldom overturned...

"Wedholm's Fisk" is an old favorite of mine and especially my father's. However, we've stopped going as of a few years back. I don't really feel that the quality of the food has gotten worse - it's still just about the best place to get generous portions of incredible salmon, turbot, sole and a few other fish in classical preparations. However, the prices have gone up and the service has gotten colder (they recently lost their Michelin star FWIW). Now, if you've got 75 bucks to lay out on their main dish of "Friscasse of sole, turbot, lobster and scallops" without batting an eye, you'll be in heaven. The ingredients are exclusive (wild-caught turbot, North Atlantic lobster) and perfectly fresh and the champagne sauce is rich without being overpowering and you get a generous portion. However, for that kind of cash, you can easily eat at any of the aforementioned restaurants and get better service and perhaps some more exciting, unusual preparations.

But, that's really just splitting hairs and all of your recommendations are solid and thoughtful, hyde park. Thanks for adding to the post!

My visiting father and I went on a "jazz cruise" on the Blidösund last night. The Blidösund was built in 1911 and is the last remaining coal-burning steamship running in Stockholm's waters. These cruises leave from the heart of central Stockholm (at the water at the foot of the Royal castle) at 6:30 p.m. and take a leisurely cruise around a few islands in the archipelago.

Last night featured Dixieland jazz and we'd booked our dinner for the late (8:30 p.m.) dinner sitting. That gave us plenty of time to sit on the deck, sip a beer and watch Stockholm and its boats pass by. The weather was, well, perfect.

Mentioned a couple of times upthread is by both Bridgestone and hyde park is Pelikan, so when I was looking for an example of classic Swedish cuisine, I figured I'd give it a shot.

(click any photo for a larger version at Flickr)

Pickled herringNo visit to Sweden would be complete without an assortment of pickled herring. Of the three, I preferred the plain pickled herring with red onion, though the one in mustard sauce was quite good. Served with a couple of cheeses and a basket of bread and rye crisp, it was a great start to the meal.

Fried sole with capers and beetsMy friend Steve ordered this special, which he liked, but I thought was way too bony. The sole was so thin that separating the meat on both sides from the bone structure was a huge pain.

MeatballsHow could I pass up Swedish meatballs? The meatballs themselves were great, but it was the forkful of meatball, rich gravy, and a bit of pickle that really sealed the deal. The pickle was intensely-sour and salty, and a little went a long way.

We're headed to Stockholm next week for about 10 days, so bumping this thread in the hopes that there might be some new recommendations. We'll be staying in a home in Ostermalm so will be able to do a little market shopping, but will likely eat out for most meals (at least in the evenings).

Any and all suggestions will be welcome!

"There’s only one thing I hate more than lying: skim milk, which is water that’s lying about being milk." - Ron Swanson

I'm a bad person because, with the generous assistance of Bridgestone, we ate gloriously in Stockholm about a year ago . . . and I was so busy after our trip that I never got around to posting. Yes, I suck.

In any case, here's a quick synopsis (with a few shots) of some of the highlights from our time there . . .

Oaxen Slip - had a great lunch here

Oaxen Slip

A selection of appetizers, including the Oaxen Dried Pork Neck

Salmon Salad

Pelikan - had a great dinner here

AquavitThey have over a dozen to choose from and the service is very cool.

Shrimp SandwichTraditional Swedish sandwich done to the extreme.

DoppskoA tremendously delicious bacon and potato hash.

Swedish MeatballsIn Sweden, they just call them meatballs.

Östermalms Korvspecialist - Awesome Sausage Stand

Menu

A bouquet of sausage sandwiches

Pharmarium

MenuLoved the leather-bound tome.

Menu PagesCocktails and plate pairings are suggested, though we only drank here.

Cocktail

Stortorget SquareThe view from the front porch of Pharmarium. Nobel Museum is to the right.

We also had a day of incredible shopping and cooking with Jonathan, as he took us to some of his favorite spots . . .

Androuet Cheesemonger (more on this later)

SaluhallFood-shopping mecca.

Lisa Elmquist - fish monger (Saluhall)

Great selection

Oysters from NW France

Yes, I'd love one now, thanks!

Willy Ohlsson - butcher (Saluhall)

Glorious selection of aged beef

Larded MeatThe best primal cuts are dipped in fat and aged for up to 60 days.